In the past, multifunction systems, particularly in a vehicle environment, have been provided with several actuation elements, particularly in a vehicle environment, in order to activate and control the different functions of the multifunction system. Due to the arrangement of the individual actuation elements relative to one another, an operator, knowing the multifunction system with the individual actuation elements, was able to operate the actuation elements almost blindly by feeling the shape and the position of the actuation elements. Touch-sensitive screens are now also beginning to be used in the vehicle environment. These touch-sensitive screens are used to control the different functions in the vehicle environment, wherein, due to the representation of virtual function elements on the screen, it is possible to activate the assigned function if a virtual function element is actuated by the operator. In a vehicle environment, in the case of a driver, it is important that the attention of the operator is not diverted excessively from the traffic events, so that the multifunction system should be operated without directing the gaze onto the screen on which the virtual function elements are displayed. However, with a conventional touch-sensitive screen, this is not possible, since, depending on the operating mode selected, the screen has different arrangements of the virtual function elements, and the function elements cannot be felt. However, when viewing the touch-sensitive screen, it should preferably also be possible to select the virtual function elements unchanged to the extent possible, if the operator looks at the screen and activates the associated function by simply pressing a virtual function element.
Therefore, an aim of the present invention is to avoid the above disadvantages and to provide a system which can be operated without the operator having to view the screen, wherein, at the same time, in a visual mode of operation, if the operator is viewing the screen, the virtual function elements can be activated more or less unchanged.